


Inescapable

by Anonymous



Category: Animorphs - Katherine A. Applegate
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-20
Updated: 2015-12-20
Packaged: 2018-05-07 21:50:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5471930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What could the Animorphs have been without the war? The war was terrible, but the alternative lives they may have lived are not necessarily any better...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Inescapable

**Author's Note:**

  * For [FrenchRoast](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchRoast/gifts).



“Right!” the teacher snapped. “Home time! I’m sick of all of you! And may you never darken my door again!” 

Everyone jumped up immediately – even Marco, for the teacher’s sharp voice has cut right into his thoughts. Nevertheless, he soon disappeared right back into them as he sat down on the bus home, home again at the front of his mind. 

From her own seat across the aisle, Rachel found herself looking at him again. _I didn’t know he lived along this line…_ she mused.

Again, she was intrigued as to what would have the brainless Marco so deeply absorbed in what were obviously troubling thoughts. She had a feeling it was something more serious than him losing a wheel off his skateboard or something. I wonder…

The bus was slowly coming to a halt at a traffic light between stops. The driver’s voice crackled over the speaker. “Attention all passengers. This service has been delayed by approximately ten minutes. We apologize for the inconvenience.” 

Oh, God, no…Rachel thought as she felt her chest seize. Did she even have her new one with her? And the prescription…she was sure they was in her bag from this morning still…

Marco cursed under his breath. It was Friday night, it was already five-thirty, and he still wasn’t home. Could this get any worse?

“Great, I’m stuck on a bus and my only company is you!” he heard Rachel yell at him from across the aisle. 

He spun around. He’d had enough of this. “What exactly is your problem with me?!” he snapped angrily. 

“Your mere presence offends me.” Rachel replied calmly. Breathe, breathe…she told herself. Just keep up this stupid little fight as a distraction. You’ll be fine…

“Oh really?” he sneered. “Well, you think I like being around you? You think you’re the only one with problems?” he snarled.

Rachel laughed harshly. “You wouldn’t know a problem if it came and hit you in the face!” 

Again, Marco’s blood boiled. “What the hell would you know about it?!” he hissed. “I have nothing but problems! I mean, do you have to get home so that your father doesn’t start to…” he trailed off. Oh, God, what had he said that for? 

Rachel paused. What had he meant by that? A simple slip of the tongue had revealed more to Rachel about Marco's personal life than years of attending the same school had. Before she could stop herself, she found herself asking him, “What is that supposed to mean?”

Ashen-faced, Marco glared at her. “Nothing. It didn’t mean anything.” Marco snapped. “Just forget it.”

Rachel was about to make a smart remark, but the look on Marco’s face stopped her. 

There was a long, awkward silence, as both parties put up their guards. Both were relieved when they felt the bus start to move again.

 _Stupid nosy cow._ Marco muttered to himself. What the hell does she care anyway? All she cares about are her own little problems. But still, what she said nagged at him: “You wouldn’t know a problem if it came and hit you in the face!” she had accused. 

“I have more problems than you think!” he suddenly blurted, and he felt a little twinge of satisfaction as she looked at him in surprise. 

She frowned slightly, and Marco could tell she was choosing her words carefully. “What exactly do you mean by that?” she asked quietly. 

Crap…he cursed. What did I go and say that for? I just keep putting my foot in my mouth. “Well…what I mean is…is…”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Come on. Out with it. Don’t start to say one thing and then stop in the middle, you coward.”

“What did you call me?!” Marco yelled angrily. “I’m the coward! You are the one who sulks around the school by herself most of the time, because you’re too afraid to let anyone get close to you! Even the few friends you have you drive away!”

Rachel’s eyes blazed. “What the hell do you know about my friends?!”

Marco laughed. “I watch you!” he said. “We all do. Maybe it's not because you push your friends away. Maybe they push you away!” As soon as the words fell out of his mouth, he instantly regretted it.

He had never seen anyone look so hurt. “Screw you!” she spat at him. “And all your stu-” She was cut off mid-word as she finally succumbed to the violent coughing fit that had been threatening her all day. “And all your stu-” she tried again, only to start coughing again.

Marco’s eyes were wide with concern. “Um…Rachel?” 

She didn’t reply, still coughing.

“Rachel! What’s wrong?!”

“My…inhaler…purple…in the front pocket…” Rachel wheezed, pointing to her school bag. “And the pills…blue ones…” 

Marco rushed over to her bag, and tugged the zipper open. Grabbing the pills and the inhaler, he handed them to her. She grasped at her inhaler, sucking on it for dear life.

“You’re an asthmatic?” Marco asked dumbly. “And…Lanoxin?” he asked, reading the pill packet before handing it to her. “My grandfather takes those for a heart condition…”

Rachel, whose coughing had finally ceased, smiled tiredly. “Well, there you go, pretty boy. You know my secret. My weakness.” She smirked, swallowing the pill dry. “You must be very proud.” 

“I…I’m sorry…I didn’t know…”

Rachel held up her hands. “It’s okay. No-one knows at school.” She narrowed her green eyes suspiciously. “Except you…”

“I won’t tell anyone…” he said quietly.

“Thank you.” She said quietly. She looked at him. “And thank you for helping me.” 

“That’s okay…any time…” 

Rachel looked out the window, breaking the moment. “It just…happens sometimes…in moments of stress or physical strain.”

“The cross-country…”

Rachel smirked. “My doctor wasn’t very happy with me after that.” She paused. “Neither were my parents.” She looked down. “It’s not terribly happy at home.”

Marco smirked. “Neither is mine.”

“Your father, too?” 

Marco nodded. “Yeah. Mine too.” He said softly.

The bus came to a halt. “Well, this is my stop…” Rachel said awkwardly. “I’ll see you Monday…”

Marco nodded and smiled. “See ya.” He said. He watched her walk up the road as the bus pulled away. She looked up, and their eyes met. They both smiled. They had found a strange understanding in each other that night in one single event that even their closest friends may never understand.

Rachel waved, and Marco returned it. 

“See you on Monday.” He whispered.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you have a great festive season!
> 
> I loved this prompt so much, and I do hope you enjoy this. I ended up going in quite a different direction than I initially planned, and it's probably a little unorthodox. But I wanted to explore what Rachel and Marco may have been without the war.


End file.
